The Arab reaction to the Israeli capture of the ship Karin A in the Red Sea, laden with 80 tons of weapons and explosives, has generally been to claim that the capture of the ship was merely an Israeli public relations ploy, unrelated to any PLO war plans. Most recently, speaking at a press conference in Ramallah, PLO leader Yasser Arafat asked rhetorically, ?Why do we need to bring weapons from overseas? Anything we need we have much closer?? Tauntingly, Arafat continued, to a round of applause and laughter from those assembled, ?We can get whatever we need from Israel ? it?s closer and a lot cheaper.?
Earlier over the past week, when the story of the Israeli seizure of the gun-running ship hit the press, the Egyptian newspaper al-Ahram published an editorial ignoring the substance of the Israeli charges. The editorial focused instead on ?the illusion that it would be possible to sell Israel's Likud Party concepts of Palestinian terrorism?? The attempt to do so in the wake of the capture of the PLO ship ?only indicates a prevalence of ill-will which threatens to forestall any fresh attempt to resume peace negotiations,? according to al-Ahram, ?now that the Palestinians have taken all the steps necessary on their part to contain violence.?
Another Egyptian newspaper, al-Akhbar, stated that ?the fabricated story of ship seized by Israel in Red Sea with a load of weapons for the Palestinians is merely nonsensical.? A second editorial in al-Akhbar claimed that ?Israeli Prime Minister Sharon is angry because the story of the ship with a load of weapons has failed to cause an uproar in Western media, as both expected and planned. He is particularly upset with the US Administration?? The reason for Sharon?s anger, according to al-Akhbar, is that he ?wanted to use the seizure of the ship to blow ongoing contacts with the Palestinians and thus forestall final status negotiations under the pretext that the Palestinian do not want peace but seek to destroy Israel.?
More forthright still was al-Messa?a, of Egypt, stating, ?Israeli claims are nothing but lies by which Tel Aviv seeks to draw American attention to Tehran as a sponsor of Palestinian terrorism?? Al-Messa?a identifies a different purpose behind the Israeli claims than al-Akhbar, however, claiming that the ?Israeli claims? are aimed at ?placing Iran on Washington's list of strike candidates, along with Lebanon, Iraq, Somalia and now Pakistan.? The Egyptian newspaper asks ?how long will the US continue to be blind-foldedly led by Israel.?
The internet news website Arab News quoted the Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Musa as saying that the Israeli claim concerning the ship seized in the Red Sea is a provocation designed to continue hostilities and foil attempts to restart peace talks with the PLO. It is, according to Musa, another Israeli exploitation of international developments. The Arab League Secretary General further expressed his opinion that the US Administration?s bias towards the ?Israeli viewpoint? on the matter of the ship ?does not serve a just and comprehensive peace in the region.?
A representative of the Palestinian Authority itself, Nabil Amr, told the al-Jazeera television station that the captured weapons-laden ship ?is an exaggerated Israeli comedy.? Furthermore, continued Amr, ?This flexing of muscles clearly proves that Israel?s leaders and security services, which have failed effectively to oppose the intifada for 15 months, need to appear as a superpower.? Prime Minister Ariel Sharon?s press conference, held with the captured arms in the background, said the PA official, ?reflects to a high degree their lack of confidence.?
The official news agency of the Palestinian Authority, WAFA, called the Israeli publication of the capture of the arms shipment a ?propaganda campaign waged by the Israeli Government and Media?? The official statement claimed that the PA was ?absolutely surprised for the publications concerning this ship, because the PL is not involved in such case nor it is a part of the Palestinian policy, especially at a time when the PL is exerting 100% efforts to stop all sorts and shapes of violent activities in both side in order to facilitate for the success of the peace efforts which are the Palestinian main objective goal, and such a case only harms the Palestinians' position.? The PA sees the failure of Israel to file an official accusation against it as evidence that the Israeli claim is weak. Furthermore, WAFA reported, ?President Arafat has informed Gen. Zinni of the need to form an investigating Committee with the participation of the USA, Russia, the E.U., Arab representatives, Israeli and Palestinian officials, to reveal the truth.?
Finally, the PA claims that the ?Israeli inflation to this incident reveals the Israeli consistency on abetting [sic] against the Palestinian People? thus avoiding the implementation of the Israeli commitments and blasting the calmness created by the Palestinian side and the rest of the internationally exerted efforts to establish peace in this region.?
Earlier over the past week, when the story of the Israeli seizure of the gun-running ship hit the press, the Egyptian newspaper al-Ahram published an editorial ignoring the substance of the Israeli charges. The editorial focused instead on ?the illusion that it would be possible to sell Israel's Likud Party concepts of Palestinian terrorism?? The attempt to do so in the wake of the capture of the PLO ship ?only indicates a prevalence of ill-will which threatens to forestall any fresh attempt to resume peace negotiations,? according to al-Ahram, ?now that the Palestinians have taken all the steps necessary on their part to contain violence.?
Another Egyptian newspaper, al-Akhbar, stated that ?the fabricated story of ship seized by Israel in Red Sea with a load of weapons for the Palestinians is merely nonsensical.? A second editorial in al-Akhbar claimed that ?Israeli Prime Minister Sharon is angry because the story of the ship with a load of weapons has failed to cause an uproar in Western media, as both expected and planned. He is particularly upset with the US Administration?? The reason for Sharon?s anger, according to al-Akhbar, is that he ?wanted to use the seizure of the ship to blow ongoing contacts with the Palestinians and thus forestall final status negotiations under the pretext that the Palestinian do not want peace but seek to destroy Israel.?
More forthright still was al-Messa?a, of Egypt, stating, ?Israeli claims are nothing but lies by which Tel Aviv seeks to draw American attention to Tehran as a sponsor of Palestinian terrorism?? Al-Messa?a identifies a different purpose behind the Israeli claims than al-Akhbar, however, claiming that the ?Israeli claims? are aimed at ?placing Iran on Washington's list of strike candidates, along with Lebanon, Iraq, Somalia and now Pakistan.? The Egyptian newspaper asks ?how long will the US continue to be blind-foldedly led by Israel.?
The internet news website Arab News quoted the Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Musa as saying that the Israeli claim concerning the ship seized in the Red Sea is a provocation designed to continue hostilities and foil attempts to restart peace talks with the PLO. It is, according to Musa, another Israeli exploitation of international developments. The Arab League Secretary General further expressed his opinion that the US Administration?s bias towards the ?Israeli viewpoint? on the matter of the ship ?does not serve a just and comprehensive peace in the region.?
A representative of the Palestinian Authority itself, Nabil Amr, told the al-Jazeera television station that the captured weapons-laden ship ?is an exaggerated Israeli comedy.? Furthermore, continued Amr, ?This flexing of muscles clearly proves that Israel?s leaders and security services, which have failed effectively to oppose the intifada for 15 months, need to appear as a superpower.? Prime Minister Ariel Sharon?s press conference, held with the captured arms in the background, said the PA official, ?reflects to a high degree their lack of confidence.?
The official news agency of the Palestinian Authority, WAFA, called the Israeli publication of the capture of the arms shipment a ?propaganda campaign waged by the Israeli Government and Media?? The official statement claimed that the PA was ?absolutely surprised for the publications concerning this ship, because the PL is not involved in such case nor it is a part of the Palestinian policy, especially at a time when the PL is exerting 100% efforts to stop all sorts and shapes of violent activities in both side in order to facilitate for the success of the peace efforts which are the Palestinian main objective goal, and such a case only harms the Palestinians' position.? The PA sees the failure of Israel to file an official accusation against it as evidence that the Israeli claim is weak. Furthermore, WAFA reported, ?President Arafat has informed Gen. Zinni of the need to form an investigating Committee with the participation of the USA, Russia, the E.U., Arab representatives, Israeli and Palestinian officials, to reveal the truth.?
Finally, the PA claims that the ?Israeli inflation to this incident reveals the Israeli consistency on abetting [sic] against the Palestinian People? thus avoiding the implementation of the Israeli commitments and blasting the calmness created by the Palestinian side and the rest of the internationally exerted efforts to establish peace in this region.?